MARTA

[WestinPeachtree]

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority operates the subway and bus system in the City of Atlanta and surrounding counties. The rail system currently has 46 miles of rail and 36 stations. MARTA carries about 250,000 rail passengers on weekdays.

MARTA Rail Map

Here are a few pics of various MARTA stations!

Peachtree Center Station

North Avenue Station

CNN/Philips Arena/GWCC Station

Five Points Station

Airport Station

MARTA and the Atlanta skyline!

Hope you liked the pictures!

[Allan]

Cool. Are there any extensions, improvements, or new lines that are planned or u/c?

[WestinPeachtree]

All the stations are being remodeled at the moment, not all at the same time but one or two at a time until they are all completed.

There are still some lines MARTA wants to build, but it needs funding and support.

The black dots represent rail lines wanting to be built.

[Allan]

Is there much support for the lines MARTA wants to build? Hopefully they will get built in the future, & not stopped by some NIMBYs.

I watched a segment of a show online about Atlanta, sprawl, & traffic. It was quite interesting and eye opening...I thought the traffic jams in Detroit were bad...but they are nothing when compared to what Atlanta experiences. As impatient as I am, I don't think I could stand a long commute in that traffic...but so many people do.

[Guest donaltopablo]

MARTA does have some interesting stations, Peachtree Center easy being to the coolest and most unique of the system.

I also agree that DC did a much better job, and that much of it was because of the attitude towards mass transit and development style of the cities.

I do think one of the biggest flaws MARTA has in their plans moving forward is to run HRT to the burbs. I think this is a poor choice, and they should focus on providing service in the city and more urban areas. Let commuter rail and BRT get out there. Just my thoughts though.

[Allan]

I've never been on the MARTA system, but I go on the metro every time I go to DC. DC's metro system is very nice (one of the best ones in the country), although it is very expensive to ride it.

I wish I had a metro system in my area...the closest thing to mass transit we have are the city busses (which nobody rides b/c they don't go where they are needed), and the Detroit People Mover, which is a joke...more of a tour of abandoned buildings downtown than any sort of functional system. There was talk of light rail, but I think those ideas have been scrapped in favor of freeway improvements & widening (and some HOV lanes, which won't work since nobody in other cities use those.)

[Cotuit]

Looks sorta like a cross between BART and the DC Metro.

[Guest donaltopablo]

Actually, once you ride MARTA you will realize (train wise at least) it is almost exactly like DC systems. Although, obviously DCs seems a little more advanced with it's ticket system (pay for distance, MARTA is flat rate).

Or, at least it seems almost exactly the same to me.

[Neo]

Although, obviously DCs seems a little more advanced with it's ticket system (pay for distance, MARTA is flat rate).

But then Chicago and New York also use the system that Atlanta does...flat rate. I know that in Chicago they give a nice discount if you pay for your monthly pass through your work by deducting it pretax from your paycheck. I ended up only paying like $45 a month for unlimited rides on the subway, busses, etc. (everything but commuter rail...that's a different system, METRA). Does Atlanta have this type of pretax incentive as well?

[Guest donaltopablo]

Not 100% sure it's pretax, but it does offer discounts for purchases through work. I also know a lot of companies pay for part of it. I thought they did, I guess I need to check.

As for the flat rate system I know a lot of other cities use this system. I was only pointing out that this was one of differences between Atlanta and DC. I'll also go ahead and make the note that I believe the flat rate system works for very large systems. I think smaller, struggling systems like MARTA would do better with the flex rate system. I know Atlanta is suppose to start installing their new fare system soon which will allow them to go to a flex system.

[Guest donaltopablo]

Yes, MARTA does have the pretax benefit program. It face, according to the MARTA website it is due to the TEA-21, a federal program that allows this everywhere. I imagine most major mass transit systems have adopted this.

MARTA also notes that they offer volume discounts to employees who buy through their companys etc.

Read more details if your interested:

http://www.itsmarta.com/howto/special/partner.htm